Florida AG investigation into Discord

Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier held a press conference on Wednesday in Sarasota to announce an investigation into the social media app Discord. 

SARASOTA, Fla. – Social media application Discord is under investigation after Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier stated it’s a place where predators feel comfortable meeting children.

What we know:

During a press conference in Sarasota on Wednesday afternoon, Uthmeier touted the state’s investigations into various social media platforms including Roblox, Snapchat and others.

“What we learned today is all roads lead to Discord,” Uthmeier stated. “It’s an app that many of you at home probably haven’t heard of. It’s not new. It’s an online gaming app, but we’ve seen countless examples of abuse where predators hiding behind a screen are going after young people.”

He went on to say that a lot of the predators will go after young children by using Instagram, Roblox or Snapchat and then they want to take the conversation onto Discord.

READ: Florida family sues Roblox, Discord after alleged online exploitation

“It’s very clear that predators feel comfortable using Discord. They believe that they are protected and that it might be harder for them to be monitored, for them to be tracked by either parents or law enforcement. This has to stop.”

What is Discord?

Discord is a social media app that is marketed as a place to talk, play and hang out. It has games and chat features.

“It’s marketed to our children and if they are actively marketing to kids, a safe product, and we see evidence that they are not doing everything that they can to stop the abuse, then we will certainly hold them accountable in court,” Uthmeier said.

READ: Discord rolls out new safety features: What to know

The investigation into Discord

The state attorney general said the civil investigation began on Wednesday and the state sent numerous subpoenas to find out how much the company knows about the “harms” that are taking place and what they are doing to address them.

He said that he wants information on marketing and promotional materials, documents related to the identities of children, and procedures related to communication moderation.”

Investigators are seeking documents that describe age verification processes and parental control features, and are reviewing records of all criminal cases involving children.

What they’re saying:

“I’m a free market guy. I’m a pro-business guy and I believe that the government should only interfere in the private sector when it is truly essential. This is one of those occasions. There is no free speech right to let our kids hurt. There’s no free market principle to let dangerous, evil predators go after our kids. So, parents at home – wake up! All roads lead to Discord.”

“Social media applications out there far and wide should be put on notice. Just as we are seeking the death penalty for adults that sexually abuse young kids, if you allow our young ones to be hurt, we are going to make you hurt. You will suffer.”